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The Lord appointed seventy others also, and sent them two by two before His face into every city and place where He Himself was about to go.

᛭ INI ᛭

Today, St. Titus’ day. He was a pastor and Paul’s friend and co-worker. Yesterday the day set aside to remember Paul’s conversion as he journeyed to Damascus and on the way saw a vision of Christ. He wasn’t just brought to faith that day, but the Lord let Paul know he **“was appointed a preacher and an apostle...a teacher of the Gentiles.”** Friday was St. Timothy’s day. He was Paul’s right hand man and son in the faith, and also a pastor. Two pastors and an apostolic preacher, sounds like the beginning of a bad joke...

Since it St. Titus’ Day, we’re considering the Office of the Ministry, that is, “Bishops, Pastors, and Preachers”, that’s how the Catechism’s Table of Duties labels the Office of the Ministry. “Elders” is how are readings have it. Today, we’re focused not only on preaching but preachers. “How shall they hear without a preacher?” Paul says. You can’t have preaching without a preacher, more on that in a bit.

The Catechism teaches a lot about Preachers. There’s the Table of Duties, and Titus 1:9 is included there. There’s also the Chief Part on Confession as well as the additional section on The Office of the Keys. The Table of Duties also includes “What the Hearers Owe Their Pastors.” There’s a lot also in our readings from Acts 20 and Titus 1. But my focus today is on the Gospel and its opening verse. What are we to cherish and take away from that verse and Christ’s preaching that follows it? Well, it’s pretty simple:

THE LORD SENDS OUT PREACHERS INTO THE HARVEST OF THE FAITHFUL UNTIL HE COMES.

(A. The historical import of the text as it relates to the THEME.)

The Lord sent the 70 and told them to preach this message: “The Kingdom of God has come near!” He sent them everywhere He was going to go. Their mission was temporary. The time for preaching limited. So was the time for listening. Christ would come and the work of the 70 would be over and done. Some would receive them and their preaching, and others wouldn’t. But no matter what the message was the Lord’s, “The Kingdom of God has come near!” The preached that message, in season and out of season, and then Christ, in His own time, came.

Luke 10:1–9 tells us what I just said:

THE LORD SENDS OUT PREACHERS INTO THE HARVEST OF THE FAITHFUL UNTIL HE COMES.

(B. The allegorical import of the text as it relates to the THEME.)

Christ continues to send His men as “Bishops, Pastors, and Preachers.” Genesis 3, 1 Corinthians 14, and 1 Timothy 2 confirm He only sends men… Serving in Christ’s stead, the pastor is image of Christ as he serves a congregation who is Christ’s Bride, the Church, in that place. The Office of the Ministry embodies roles of prophet (not prophetess), priest (not priestess), apostle (like Paul), and king (not queen).

Today’s second communion hymn will connect these roles. In it you’ll be praying for me according to all these roles! The hymn explains it way better than I can…

When Christ sends out preachers now, it’s with the same simple message: “The Kingdom of God has come near!” It’s come near to you, for Christ the King has come. When He came He took away whatever blocked your way into the Kingdom. He took away each sin from your permanent record so that you’re no longer “banished.” Your sinful record was “nailed to His cross,” washed away in His blood. To live in sin is to lock yourself back in the jail cell. The Kingdom came near not just when the King was crucified for us and our salvation but also when He rose from the dead, ascended into heaven, and now sits at the right hand of God.

The kingdom of God is coming near, because soon, very soon, Christ will come again. We don’t know when, just like the 70 didn’t know when Christ would show up in their town. But just like He showed up back then, He’ll show up again. In the meantime the message continues: “The Kingdom of God has come near.” “Repent and believe the Gospel.” The Kingdom of God is wherever the Christ’s Word is proclaimed, wherever the His Sacraments are delivered according to His institution.

For this preachers are needed. You can’t have preaching without a preacher. I told you I’d get to it, but moving on to that topic, let me just summarize Luke 10:1–9 shows us that what happens in our day with preachers is prefigured in the sending of the 70,

THE LORD SENDS OUT PREACHERS INTO THE HARVEST OF THE FAITHFUL UNTIL HE COMES.

(C. The practical import of the text as it relates to the THEME.)

The Lord sends out preacher means we must have preachers, and these sent preachers are received by the faithful among whom they’re serving. The harvest is “the sons of peace,” as Christ calls believers in our text today. But what use does a believer have for a preacher?

Our rugged American individualism and its corresponding self-sufficient nature places preachers on the sidelines. Many Christians out there might say things like this: “I don’t need a pastor. I don’t need baptism. I don’t need confession or absolution. I don’t need communion. I don’t need the Bible. I don’t need preaching. All I need is IHS.” The problem is that Christ disagrees. He instituted Baptism, Absolution, and Communion. He sent the Spirit to inspire the Bible. He sends preachers “to declare the whole counsel of God” (Acts 20) and to preach the Gospel of salvation.

Many Lutherans, however, would also echo this sentiment. We might prize God’s Word or the Gospel, or Baptism, Absolution, or Communion in bringing us to faith or strengthening our faith or keeping us in the faith. … But what if I told you Christ sent out pastors so that you’d have faith. That gives knee-jerk “No!” But that’s exactly what Lutherans say we believe in the Augsburg Confession: “So that we may obtain [saving] faith, the ministry of teaching the Gospel and administering the Sacraments was instituted.” (AC V) Why did Christ instituted it? Because sermons aren’t just heard without a mouth preaching. If there’s no mouth or hand then Baptism isn’t delivered, absolution isn’t spoken, Communion isn’t blessed and distributed. For “through the Word and Sacraments, as through instruments, the Holy Spirit is given. He works faith, when and where it pleases God, in those who hear the good news that God justifies those who believe that they are received into grace for Christ’s sake.” (AC V) As Paul says, “How shall they hear without a preacher?” No matter what some city folk might say, there food doesn’t just come from the grocery store or a box…

In the Missouri Synod, there is indeed a glut of congregations but a shortage of pastors. Let us pray earnestly for the Lord send out pastors, and let our consideration of pastors match our prayer, that they are essential. And men, I appeal especially to you young men, to consider being pastors. After all, “If a man desires the position of a bishop [or pastor or preacher], he desires a good work.” But maybe not just young men. I had guys in my seminary class or the class ahead of or behind mine who were twice or three times my age! And, of course, Moses was 80 years old when the Lord called him to be a prophet. Same with the Apostles: Peter was likely older, John a young guy, and Paul probably like my age. No matter who or how old,

THE LORD SENDS OUT PREACHERS INTO THE HARVEST OF THE FAITHFUL UNTIL HE COMES.

(D. Conclusion: The anagogical import of the text as it relates to the THEME.)

But the Lord sends out preachers so that the harvest would be tended and worked until He comes, and He will come again. Preachers are baptizing, preaching, teaching, absolving, giving out communion so that when the Lord of the Harvest returns there’s something for Him to send out His sickle to reap. In fact, preachers are preppers, preppers not only for themselves but for all the sons of peace. For there will come a day when Christ won’t just send preachers out into the harvest of the faithful.

On that day, “the Son of Man [will come] on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.” (Mt 24) “At [that] time of harvest He will say to the reapers, ‘First gather together the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them, but gather the wheat into my barn.’” (Mt 13)

But in the meantime:

THE LORD SENDS OUT PREACHERS INTO THE HARVEST OF THE FAITHFUL UNTIL HE COMES.

᛭ INI ᛭